Photo from Elisa's kitchen
When going plant-based, many people think it means giving up foods they love… such as a thick, creamy, white sauce. This is not the case. Plant-based eating is about being creative and replacing traditional ingredients high in saturated fat and cholesterol (cheese, butter, milk) with nutrient packed plants. Sometimes the result is very similar to the standard version. Other times it has a unique twist of its own, but it always has the potential to be delicious.
This week I tweaked Chad Sarno’s (Whole Food Markets’ chef) basic white sauce to create a plant strong staple. Once you have a handful of versatile recipes, you can whip up healthy meals quickly.
In order to make this recipe healthier, I eliminated the “low salt vegetable stock” which is typically very high in sodium. Regardless of what the label reads, 500 mg of sodium is not low!
I reduced the miso – a flavorful fermented product, but also extremely high in sodium – from 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon, and that is generous. One teaspoon of miso contains 230 mg. of sodium – yikes! Of course you can choose to not use miso, and if you do it should be used sparingly. I did not have white miso, so I used red – which didn’t alter the color.
Since I eliminated 2 cups of vegetable broth, I cut out a garlic clove. I love garlic, but if you have trouble with the aromatic bulb, you may choose to use 2 or 3 cloves. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute with about 1 teaspoon of salt-free garlic powder.
This sauce tastes wonderful over water-sauteed onions, greens (kale, collards, mustard greens, etc…) and tofu or beans. If you choose to serve it over a 100% whole grain, such as brown rice pasta, make sure to include some sort of shredded leafy green to increase the nutritive value. Kale and collards are the most nutrient dense foods on the planet! Consider adding some other non-starchy veggies such as broccoli, shredded cabbage and/or carrots to add color to the white sauce.
The meal pictured above contains onion, collards, green beans, quinoa, and the basic white sauce all mixed together. Also, consider using this white sauce on a 100% whole grain pizza crust topped with colorful vegetables.
This recipe yields a good quantity (I’m estimating 32 oz.), and will last you several days. Leftovers work well as a preservative free salad dressing, a dip for raw veggies, or a sandwich spread. Or, use it in any traditional recipe that calls for a white sauce.
Remember, the goal is to consume high nutrient foods for improved health outcomes. Use this nut-based sauce strategically to increase the nutrient absorption of dark, leafy greens!
